Huwebes, Nobyembre 10, 2016

SUAL – Known as lady charmer, the Philippine president grudgingly lauded one of the Vietnamese fishermen who developed an affair with a Filipina when he was in jail in Ilocos Sur.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who led the sent off here of the 17 fishermen, said that Vietnam Ambassador Truong Triey Duong whispered to him that one of the Vietnamese jailed at Vigan City, Ilocos Sur had an affair with a Filipina when he and 15 of his compatriots where locked up there.

The other Vietnamese was a minor thus presumed to be under the watch of the Department of Social Welfare & Development.

“Bumulong iyong ambassador daw. Iyong isa daw dito raw may naka uyab raw ng Filipina. Sino?! Mabilis ito? Iba ang yawa! (The Vietnamese ambassador whispered to me that one of them had an affair with a Filipina. Who is he?! He was fast. This demon is different!), the president declared before the hundreds of amused crowds from the national, regional, and municipal offices of the government who attended the first official visit of the president of the republic in this rustic and coastal town and the province of Pangasinan.

On September 8, the 17 Vietnamese fishermen on board three fishing vessels were arrested by the Philippine Navy off Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Government authorities filed charges against them like violations of Section 91 of Republic Act No. 10654 or An Act to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing; violation of Republic Act 8550 as amended by Republic Act 10654 for poaching and CA 613, Section 37 (a)(1) & (7) for entering Philippine waters at Poro Point, La Union without inspection, admission, and in the absence of nine entry visa and record of arrival in the country.

The Philippine authorities however dropped all these charges because it was argued that the fishermen were forced to reach the Philippine waters due to Typhoon Ferdie and the southwest monsoon from the South China Sea. On October 10, the Justice Department issued a memorandum allowing them to return to Vietnam without fine or penalty.

On October 24, a joint resolution issued by concerned agencies cleared the 17 Vietnamese fishermen to sail for their home country on board their three fishing vessels.

During the sent off last November 2 of President
Rodrigo Duterte of the 17 Vietnamese fishermen who were detained for almost two
months after “poaching” at the sea off of Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Northern Watch Newspaper’s correspondent
Mortz C. Ortigoza chanced upon Department of Social Welfare & Development
(DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo at Sual Wharf in Sual, Pangasinan. Ortigoza
asked her about the previous tussle she had with the congressmen who insisted
that members of congress through the power of the purse should have entitlement
on the identification of the recipients of government projects. He asked the
Secretary if the solons continue the malpractice of conspiring with the private
contractors in rigging the government bid where two of the three bidders quoted
a higher construction cost thus losing the bid while receiving a bribe from the
winning bidder. Ortigoza also posed to Taguiwalo if the old practice of 20
percent S.O.P, euphemism for cut, continues to be given by the winning bidder
to the congressman. Excerpts:

MCO: Nakapangasawa ako diri. Sa radio program ko, kinumentaryuhan
ko ang ginawa ng mga congressmen sa inyo. Kay kabalo kamo, hampang nila ina mga
projects sila naga identify. Sa ila ang contractors kay ginatagaan sila sang 20
percent S.O.P. Is still there a pressure from them that they should prevail on
what they wanted? (I married a Pangasinense. In my radio program I discussed
about the roughed treatment given to you by congressmen when you appeared at
Congress. It is still their practice where they identify recipients of
government projects and then received 20 percent S.O.P from their favored
contractor? Is still there a pressure from them that you should acquiesce that
they should prevail on what they wanted?).

SEC: Ang usapan puwede sila maglagay ng mga projects nila
during thedeliberation because that is the role
of congress. Di ba? Pero sa implementation na post enactment na, it would be
the department.

For example, emergency shelters. Do congressmen insist
for their favored contractor?